Stu :) Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I put a lettuce in my tank to supplement the feeding of my Silver Dollars and Green Sevs, I was wondering how long should I keep lettuce leaf in tank before swapping out and replacing? Many thanks, Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 What's this swapping out rubbish? Or were you planning on trying to pull it back out of the fish's stomachs after they've eaten it all? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucid Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Take it out when it goes slimey. Only put in as much as they will eat before it does this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 You'll soon know when it's time to take it out - it will go kind of dark and wilty-soft and look like it's about to start falling apart. Good idea to feed your fish some fresh greenery. My barbs love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu :) Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Thanks for that. I pulled some out last night and what appeared to be a whole leaf just turned into slime and fell apart soon as I touched it. It great too as soon as I started adding lettuce leaves to the tank the silver dollars have started ignoring the plants :bounce: Obviously fancy lettuce tastes better than aquatic plants. Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I've put like 4 huge lettuce leaves(Probably near a square foot each) in my tank, before most of my cichlids died and they'd finish off all of it in 2-3 days except for bunches of scrap bits floating at the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 if theyt arent eating it all boil it for a few mins in a cup in the microwave they will go crazy for it nb if u have algae on rocks or driftwood u can boil it in a large pot(even black hair algae after boiling ur fish will pick it clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 My barbs love it Gee, I must try that, thanks Does lettuce serve any benefit (like peas do) or is it more of a treat? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindy500 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I've put like 4 huge lettuce leaves(Probably near a square foot each) in my tank, before most of my cichlids died and they'd finish off all of it in 2-3 days except for bunches of scrap bits floating at the surface. relation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 relation? Yes, definitely, the lettuce clogged both filters several weeks after I last fed it to them while I was on vacation and then distracted the housesitter for 24-48 hours while the fish suffocated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 if theyt arent eating it all boil it for a few mins in a cup in the microwave they will go crazy for it nb if u have algae on rocks or driftwood u can boil it in a large pot(even black hair algae after boiling ur fish will pick it clean. Just remember if you boil it you will make it break down much faster. Lettuce in particular is mostly water so will collapse when you cook it. I had an outbreak of bad bushy black algae a few months ago so I scrubbed then boiled my wood, then put it in the microwave and zapped it. About a week after putting it back in the tank the nasty stuff had started growing back. :evil: When the end of the world comes, all that will survive is cockroaches and BBA. :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Gee, I must try that, thanks Does lettuce serve any benefit (like peas do) or is it more of a treat? Caper I don't know specifically whether fresh vegetables serve a nutritional purpose, but I think they probably do. Like humans, the more variety of food and the more fresh/live food, the better in my opinion. Also there is the psychological benefit of giving the fish some new experiences - new tastes, textures, smells, and new problems to solve. I think even fish deserve mental stimulation in their lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Lettuce should always be blanched first before adding to aquarium: Method for blanching: plunge foods into boiling water for a few seconds (few seconds for lettuce) or a few minutes, then remove and place in ice water. The food does not cook all the way through, so crisp texture is preserved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Hi Jaide, why should lettuce be blanched before putting it in the aquarium? I prefer to just rinse vegetables and put them straight in (weighed down to stop them floating away). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I'm not entirely sure why Whetu - every google result always recommends blanching lettuce before feeding to your fish - maybe it makes it more digestible so its easier on their tums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I see no real reason to unless you have smaller weaker fish, it might be a bit tough for them. But cichlids, plecs, bristlenoses etc don't seem to have a problem. It's interesting watching a big plec eating it if you have it stuck against the glass. Starts off you can just see a dark patch through the lettuce slowly a section of it gets more and more defined then gets some color and suddenly a mouth appears through the lettuce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu :) Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I'm just rinsing the lettuce leaf off with tap water and clipping it to the side of the tank opposite side of the plants. The juvenile Silver Dollars and slightly bigger green sevs don't complain. I can tell when my baby Plecos have had a go at the lettuce as it looks 'striped'; meaning that that part of the leaf looks more transparent and you can really see the veins really well. All I have to do is work out better way of feeding the monsters the algae chips... :roll: Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 Would iceberg lettuce be ok (all I have in the house at the moment) - think I read on here somewhere that it's not - can someone confirm if it is or isn't ok to use. thanks very muchly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museeumchick Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 i think its just a matter of washing it super thoroughly (although this is the case of all store brought vege). there might be another reason... anyone got something to add? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I have never blanched lettuce. You need to do it on tougher greens like cabbage to help break it down a bit for digestion. They don't care what sort of lettuce it is so iceberg is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Thanks Caryl ... hmm I wonder what all my fishies will be having for tea tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I keep hearing rumors that iceberg lettuce contains some chemical that destroys vitamin C or something like that. I don't really believe it and haven't seen much evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Probably a rumour put out by those growing the more expensive fancier lettuces :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.